I Have a Question
by Bixata
Summary: Jack has a question about wormholes. Carter doesn't have an answer.


Spoilers: Pilot, Enigma, The Serpent's Lair, Serpent's Song, 1969,

**I Have a Question**

"Hey, Carter? I have a question."

"Sir?"

"There's something that's been bugging me for years, and I've just got to know."

Colonel O'Neill's conspiratorial whisper intrigued Sam as they sat alone at the briefing room table, waiting for the rest of their teammates and Hammond to arrive. "Know what, sir?"

"How did Apophis escape from Earth?"

She blinked.

"You know. That first time," he explained, waving his hands.

She took a deep breath as she refrained from rolling her eyes at her CO's feigned stupidity. There had to be some kind of joke or revelation at the end of this game, she just knew it. "Well, sir, I imagine he did the same thing as Daniel. Using Earth as the point of origin he was able to dial the 'Gate before the ship exploded."

"No, not that time. The first time."

"That was the first time, sir. The second time he was dead when we handed him over to Sokar. Sokar used a sarcophagus to…"

"Carter, I may have the gray hair, but I'm not senile. The first time he came to Earth, before we went back to Abydos. You know, the whole 'aliens invade Earth so let's go see what's going on out there in the galaxy' thing."

"Oh." Boy, did she feel like an idiot. "What was the question, again?"

"How'd he escape?"

She stared at him and he stared right back. "Is this a trick question?" she asked warily.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the wormhole only goes one way, right? So…How did he dial the 'Gate? We don't exactly have a DHD sitting right there for his convenience."

Her mouth fell open, as she had automatically assumed she would be prepared to explain whatever befuddled the Colonel, after all, she knew the Stargate better than anyone on Earth. This thing that had been bothering him for years, apparently, had never even occurred to her. "Oh my God. I…I have no idea. I mean it's possible he had some kind of…Well, Lya from the Nox was able to create a wormhole with just her mind, and when we were thrown into the future Cassie opened the 'Gate with a device she could hold in her hand so it's possible that Apophis had some kind of miniature power source."

The Colonel tapped his fingers on the table, considering her answer. "If it was a power source they still would have had to manually dial the 'Gate, wouldn't they? The cameras would have picked that up."

Her brain was going to melt. "Sir, I have no idea how they were able to go back through the Stargate. They didn't gain access to the Control Room, for all we know the 'Gate never even shut down for them to establish an outgoing wormhole. It doesn't make sense," she conceded in exasperation, shaking her head in disgust that she couldn't find a solution to his question.

The Colonel shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unbothered by her lack of an explanation. "Okay."

"What?" she nearly shouted at him. "Okay? That's it? You don't want to know?"

He lifted his hands palms out towards her. "Hey, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who didn't understand. Don't let it bother you, Carter, the guy's dead anyway. Right? We're sure this time, he's absolutely dead?"

"But sir, this could be important. Do you have any idea what this could mean?"

"Nope," he replied happily, quite content to forget the whole thing now that it was someone else's problem.

"But, sir."

Whatever she was going to say, or argue, was interrupted by Daniel's entrance, followed closely by Teal'c and General Hammond.

"What did you do now, Jack?" Daniel asked, having heard Sam's pleading tone.

"Nothing," he replied innocently, a smile on his face as he rose to his feet in General Hammond's presence.

Daniel looked at him calculatingly, then glanced over at Sam and saw the pensive frown on her face. "Sam?"

"Yeah, Daniel, I'm just trying to figure something out."

"Well, do it on your own time, Major," General Hammond ordered as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Dr. Jackson, I believe you were in charge of this briefing. Please, proceed."

As Daniel explained the historical significance of the ruins on P9J-835, Sam was distracted by her thoughts on Apophis' escape through the Stargate. Why hadn't she considered it sooner? Sure, she'd been kind of distracted at the time, what with it being her first time traveling to another planet and fighting evil aliens and learning how to fight and live with her new teammates. But if the Colonel had been thinking about it for years, why hadn't it ever come up before now?

"Major Carter?"

She shook herself back to the present at General Hammond calling her name, horrified that everyone in the room was staring at her, except for Colonel O'Neill who was smirking suspiciously. "Yes, sir?" Her voice did not just squeak.

"Major, are you all right?"

She grimaced guiltily. "Yes sir, I've just got a lot on my mind, I guess."

"When do you not, Carter?" the Colonel asked flippantly.

She didn't know how to respond to that.

"Well I suggest you solve whatever problem is bothering you before your mission tomorrow at 0900," General Hammond ordered. "I can't have my best people distracted when they're sent into to potentially hostile territory."

"Yes, sir. I'll be fine." She smiled, hoping that it was convincing enough for the General.

"Very well. Dismissed."

As General Hammond exited the room Sam stood up and gathered her folders, still trying to find a solution. She was about to call Daniel over and discuss the possibilities with him but when she looked over Colonel O'Neill was guiding Daniel out of the room with a hand on his teammate's shoulder. As they walked out she could just hear the Colonel's words:

"Hey, Daniel? I have a question."


End file.
